EP1951548A2 - Vehicule a plancher plat bas et rampe pour personnes a mobilite reduite ou pour autres utilisations - Google Patents

Vehicule a plancher plat bas et rampe pour personnes a mobilite reduite ou pour autres utilisations

Info

Publication number
EP1951548A2
EP1951548A2 EP06837129A EP06837129A EP1951548A2 EP 1951548 A2 EP1951548 A2 EP 1951548A2 EP 06837129 A EP06837129 A EP 06837129A EP 06837129 A EP06837129 A EP 06837129A EP 1951548 A2 EP1951548 A2 EP 1951548A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
vehicle
ramp
driver
floor
door
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP06837129A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Michael A. Pocobello
Patton R. Corrigan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Vehicle Production Group LLC
Original Assignee
Vehicle Production Group LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Vehicle Production Group LLC filed Critical Vehicle Production Group LLC
Publication of EP1951548A2 publication Critical patent/EP1951548A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G3/00—Ambulance aspects of vehicles; Vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances, e.g. for facilitating access of, or for loading, wheelchairs
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D31/00—Superstructures for passenger vehicles
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G3/00—Ambulance aspects of vehicles; Vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances, e.g. for facilitating access of, or for loading, wheelchairs
    • A61G3/02—Loading or unloading personal conveyances; Facilitating access of patients or disabled persons to, or exit from, vehicles
    • A61G3/06—Transfer using ramps, lifts or the like
    • A61G3/061—Transfer using ramps, lifts or the like using ramps
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G3/00—Ambulance aspects of vehicles; Vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances, e.g. for facilitating access of, or for loading, wheelchairs
    • A61G3/02—Loading or unloading personal conveyances; Facilitating access of patients or disabled persons to, or exit from, vehicles
    • A61G3/06—Transfer using ramps, lifts or the like
    • A61G3/067—Transfer using ramps, lifts or the like with compartment for horizontally storing the ramp or lift
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
    • A61G3/00—Ambulance aspects of vehicles; Vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances, e.g. for facilitating access of, or for loading, wheelchairs
    • A61G3/08—Accommodating or securing wheelchairs or stretchers
    • A61G3/0808—Accommodating or securing wheelchairs
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60P—VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS
    • B60P1/00—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading

Definitions

  • the present invention is directed to a vehicle, such as a taxicab, having a low, flat floor and a ramp, designed for purposes such as accommodating a person using a mobility aid.
  • a mobility aid is any aid for personal mobility, such as a wheelchair or a scooter for disabled persons.
  • Taxicabs are typically modified versions ' of vehicles that were not initially designed with the needs of taxicab drivers and passengers in mind. A common example is the Ford
  • Such vehicles are typically designed for and marketed to a variety of purchasers, including individual buyers, police forces, and car rental companies. Vehicles designed for other purchasers, particularly individuals, are designed to meet criteria not related to, and sometimes at cross purposes with, the needs of taxicab drivers and passengers. In particular, individual buyers may select a car more for image than for practical concerns.
  • ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Regulations under the ADA specify various requirements for vehicles for persons with disabilities. For example, a "box" or empty space of specified dimensions must be provided for a wheelchair. Also, if a ramp is extended from the vehicle to the curb, the ramp must have a slope not exceeding 1 :4.
  • the present invention is directed to a vehicle designed specifically to serve as a taxicab for persons with disabilities.
  • the floor of the vehicle is designed to provide a large, flat floor space for a wheelchair. Anchor points are provided to secure the wheelchair.
  • a ramp is provided in the vehicle to allow access by the wheelchair-bound passenger.
  • the ramp and the rails on which it moves are manufactured as a single cartridge or modular unit, If a manufacturer desires to build vehicles for both left-hand-drive and right-hand-drive markets, the positioning of the cartridge can easily be reversed.
  • the floor of the vehicle is sufficiently low that the slope of the ramp does not exceed the maximum allowable value (1 :4 in the United States).
  • the drive train is designed to accommodate both.
  • the engine and transmission are mounted in a tilted configuration so that the drive shaft extends from the transmission with a downward slope.
  • the drive shaft is jointed so that at a point between the transmission and the differential, the downward slope changes to an upward slope.
  • the differential is configured so that the drive shaft joins the differential at a lower portion of the differential. Such a configuration lowers the floor and offers an additional advantage in allowing the use of conventional suspension components, e.g., leaf springs.
  • An enclosure for the driver is provided, also in a modular configuration that can easily be mounted in the vehicle. Since some jurisdictions require a partition between the driver and the passengers, while others forbid it, a partition can be provided or not, as needed.
  • the partition window between the driver and the front passenger location is mounted on a single pivot point, so that it can be rotated out of the way instead of being raised and lowered linearly.
  • a conventional coin slot can be provided as needed.
  • the driver's enclosure can be designed to integrate an HVAC duct for the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
  • the enclosure can also be configured to function as an office for the driver, with spaces for storing items that the driver routinely needs with in easy ' reach of the driver.
  • Door locks are under individual control by the driver. At the end of the passenger's journey, the driver can unlock only the door on the curb side, to prevent the passenger from opening a door into traffic. Indicator lights can be provided, both inside the vehicle to indicate to the passenger where to exit and outside the vehicle to indicate to drivers which door is about to open.
  • the front and rear bumpers are designed to be identical.
  • door panels and fenders are designed so that only two kinds need to be produced, which are mirror images of each other. All glass, including the windshield, is flat.
  • Figs. 1 A and 1 B show two views of a vehicle according to the preferred embodiment; [0022
  • Figs. 5A-5D show a wheelchair-bound passenger entering the vehicle;
  • Figs. 6A and 6B show the ramp;
  • Figs. 7A and 7B show the frame of the cartridge in which the ramp is mounted; [0028] Fig. 8 shows the cartridge; [0029) Fig. 9 shows a motorized variation of the ramp; [0030] Figs. 10A- 1OC show the driver's enclosure; [00311 Fig. 1 1 shows a control panel to allow the driver to lock and unlock the doors of the vehicle; and [0032] Fig. 12 shows the layout of the interior seating area.
  • Figs. IA and I B show two views of a vehicle 100 according to the preferred embodiment. As can be seen from the figures, and as will become clearer below, the vehicle is optimized for efficient and cost-effective use as a taxicab for persons with disabilities rather than as a personal pleasure vehicle.
  • Figs. 2A and 2B show the exterior body panels of the vehicle.
  • the door outer panels 202, fenders 204, bumpers 206, and bumper corners 208 are replaceable and interchangeable.
  • the body replacement parts are shipped primed, ready for paint.
  • the hood 210 and trunk Hd 212 are formed of a sheet molding compound.
  • Fig. 3 shows the body 300, which is constructed through all steel welded body construction.
  • the body 300 is mounted on the frame (chassis) 400 of Fig. 4.
  • the chassis is designed to allow a low, flat floor in a rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
  • the engine 402 and transmission 404 are mounted on the chassis 400 in a tilted configuration so that the first section 406 of the drive shaft extends from the transmission 404 with a downward slope.
  • the first section 406 of the drive shaft is joined through a rotary joint 410 to a second section 412 of the drive shaft.
  • the second section 412 of the drive shaft connects to a differential 414 at a lower portion of the differential.
  • the rear axle 416 is supported on leaf springs 418.
  • the transmission 404 is an automatic transmission calibrated to the taxi driving cycle.
  • the engine 402 and transmission 404 are designed to give good acceleration at low speeds to allow the vehicle to enter urban traffic.
  • acceleration to high speeds e.g., 0-60 mph
  • acceleration to low speeds e.g., 0-20 mph.
  • FIGs. 5A-5D show how a wheelchair-bound passenger P enters the vehicle 100.
  • a ramp 500 whose construction will be explained in detail below, is extended from the vehicle to the curb.
  • the passenger P is pushed up the ramp into an interior space 502 of the vehicle.
  • the passenger P is entirely in the vehicle and is moving from the back seat area to the front seat area.
  • the passenger P is in the front seat area. The manner in which the passenger P's wheelchair is secured to the floor of the vehicle will also be explained below.
  • Fig. 6A shows the ramp 500 from above.
  • the ramp has rails 602, as required by the ADA regulations.
  • the rails 602 are spring-mounted on hinges 604 so that they can pop up when the ramp is extended and can be folded down when the ramp is not extended.
  • Fig. 6B shows the ramp 500 from below, with a center stop 606 at the end distal from the vehicle.
  • Figs. 7A and 7B show views from above and below of a frame 700 of the cartridge in which the ramp is mounted.
  • the frame 700 includes roller bearings 702 for supporting the ramp as it is pulled out of the vehicle and pushed back in.
  • the frame also includes a center guide rail 704 for guiding the movement of the ramp.
  • Fig. 8 shows the cartridge 800, including an upper surface 802. A portion of the frame 700 is visible. At the end of the cartridge from which the ramp extends is a door 804 that is closed when the ramp is not extended. When the ramp is extended, the door 804 can act as a threshold. Latches 806 hold the door 804 closed when the ramp is not extended.
  • the ramp will be extended and withdrawn manually. Straps (not shown) can be provided on the distal end of the ramp for that purpose.
  • the ramp can be motorized, as shown in Fig. 9.
  • the ramp 902 slides in an out while being guided on guides 904.
  • a motor 906 turns gears 908, which engage with gear teeth or slots 910 on the bottom face of the ramp.
  • the ramp also has guide wheels or pins 912.
  • Figs. 1OA and 1OB show the driver's enclosure 1000.
  • the enclosure has a guide 1002 for supporting a window 1004 that can be rotated out of the way, as shown in Fig. 1OB.
  • the enclosure provides for a change slot 1006.
  • the enclosure does not enclose the entire front area of the vehicle.
  • the front passenger seating area amounts to wasted space.
  • the area that would be taken up by the front passenger seating area is instead made available for a wheelchair-bound passenger. That will be made clearer below with reference to Fig. 12.
  • Fig. 1OC shows the driver's enclosure 1000 from above.
  • the driver's seat 1008 is configured to provide an upright driving position and good visibility, similarly to the driving positions in tall stations wagons.
  • a console 1010 provides compartments to store whatever the driver will need for a typical day, within easy reach of the driver.
  • the driver's enclosure 1000 is of modular construction.
  • the upper portion forming a partition is provided as a module, since some jurisdictions require such a partition, while others forbid it.
  • Fig. 11 shows a control panel 1 100.
  • the control panel 1100 includes conventional controls such as HVAC controls 1 102 and window controls 1 104.
  • the control panel includes controls 1106 to allow the driver to lock and unlock the doors on only one side of the vehicle.
  • the driver can use the controls 1106 to prevent a passenger from opening a door into traffic.
  • Interior lights indicate to the passenger which door is unlocked.
  • Exterior lights (shown in Fig. IB as 102) indicate to other drivers which door is about to open.
  • Fig. 12 shows a view from above of the interior seating area 1200 of the vehicle.
  • the driver's enclosure is shown as 1000 and has been described above.
  • Bench seats 1202, 1204 provide seating for four.
  • the seats have cushions 1206 that are removable for washing or replacement and for access to the fuel pump.
  • An area 1208 is provided for a passenger using a mobility aid. Since driver's enclosure 1000 encloses only the driver's seat rather than the entire front passenger area, the area 1208 extends into the front passenger area. As a result, the area is larger than required by ADA regulations, i.e., 32" x 74" as opposed to 30" x 48".
  • ADA-compliant accommodations While such dimensions do not allow ADA-compliant accommodations for two wheelchair-bound passengers, they do allow ADA-compliant accommodations for one wheelchair-bound passenger in one of two positions. Of course, an enlarged vehicle could provide ADA-compliant accommodations for two.
  • Six anchor points 1210 are provided on the floor in that area for anchoring restraints for the wheelchair.
  • An example of the restraints that can be used is the Q'Straint restraining system, sold by Q'Straint of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A. The restraints, when not in use, are stored under the driver's seat 1008.
  • a screen can be provided in the engine's air intake to filter out debris such as pigeon feathers. That is not a common problem with vehicles owned by families. However, given the time each day when a taxicab is driven, rather than parked, it is a significant problem with taxicabs.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un taxi ou autre véhicule qui est conçu spécifiquement pour des personnes à mobilité réduite, bien qu’il puisse avoir d’autres utilisations, par exemple un véhicule de livraison. Une rampe, stockée dans une cartouche sous le plancher du véhicule, est étendue jusqu’au trottoir pour permettre le déplacement d’un fauteuil roulant ou d’une autre aide de locomotion. Le plancher est suffisamment bas pour que l’inclinaison de la rampe respecte les réglementations. Le plancher est baissé en fournissant un joint dans l’arbre d’entraînement pour baisser l’arbre d’entraînement et éliminer la bosse de transmission. Une enceinte avec une fenêtre rotative est prévue pour séparer le conducteur de la zone passager avant. Le conducteur peut déverrouiller les portes sur seulement un côté pour empêcher un passager d’ouvrir une porte vers le flux de la circulation.
EP06837129A 2005-11-08 2006-11-07 Vehicule a plancher plat bas et rampe pour personnes a mobilite reduite ou pour autres utilisations Withdrawn EP1951548A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US73428405P 2005-11-08 2005-11-08
US11/521,587 US20070116534A1 (en) 2005-11-08 2006-09-15 Vehicle with low, flat floor and ramp for persons with disabilities or for other uses
PCT/US2006/043441 WO2007056431A2 (fr) 2005-11-08 2006-11-07 Vehicule a plancher plat bas et rampe pour personnes a mobilite reduite ou pour autres utilisations

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1951548A2 true EP1951548A2 (fr) 2008-08-06

Family

ID=38023950

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP06837129A Withdrawn EP1951548A2 (fr) 2005-11-08 2006-11-07 Vehicule a plancher plat bas et rampe pour personnes a mobilite reduite ou pour autres utilisations

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US20070116534A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP1951548A2 (fr)
KR (1) KR20080086863A (fr)
AU (1) AU2006311645A1 (fr)
BR (1) BRPI0618361A2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2629063A1 (fr)
RU (1) RU2008122557A (fr)
WO (1) WO2007056431A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9555694B2 (en) * 2011-11-15 2017-01-31 GM Global Technology Operations LLC Vehicle door assembly
JP7339179B2 (ja) * 2020-02-12 2023-09-05 トヨタ自動車株式会社 車両用スロープシステム

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US5380144A (en) * 1993-09-10 1995-01-10 Care Concepts, Inc. Deployable vehicle access ramp
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US6328369B1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2001-12-11 Yugenkaisha Paramount Corporation Automobile
US6390537B1 (en) * 2000-06-01 2002-05-21 Digonis Michael K. Vehicle adapted for taxicab and livery cab purposes
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Title
See references of WO2007056431A3 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2006311645A1 (en) 2007-05-18
KR20080086863A (ko) 2008-09-26
BRPI0618361A2 (pt) 2011-08-30
WO2007056431A3 (fr) 2007-10-04
US20070116534A1 (en) 2007-05-24
RU2008122557A (ru) 2009-12-20
WO2007056431A2 (fr) 2007-05-18
CA2629063A1 (fr) 2007-05-18

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